A group to discuss, share and develop the new Higher Computing Science course.
perfectpapers.
Alex McNeiceI was looking at the new information on the SQA’s site about the upcoming changes to Higher (https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/56924.html) and a number of points worry me.
The increase in exam time from 2 hours to 2.5 hours would be one of them.
More worrying is this –
More detail on the requirements for the Higher course will be provided in the revised Higher course specification, which will be published at the end of April 2018
We start our new timetable in June so basically, we’ll have 1 month to get ready. I remember being in the same boat last year with the N5 changes?
Also,
Course support notes will be added to the revised course specification as an appendix by the end of September 2018, to provide additional clarity and guidance.
So we get the clarity and guidance we need at the end of September? The “guidance” for N5 only surfaced in October last year despite being dated September on the actual document.
I remember, as I’m sure most of you will as well, that the SQA were going to learn from the fiasco last year with N5. However, nothing is different. I still have 1 month to get ready and won’t get more help until about October!
How is it they were able to make the exact same mistakes AGAIN?
Scott McBrideThe old, old Higher was 2.5 hours long was it not?
Yes, it will be very late in the day when the final arrangements appear and the extra materials in October will be late. However, at least we are getting a look at what will probably be in the course now, this did not happen with Nat 5. The majority of the new content has come from AH so there is notes from Scholar etc. already available.
I like the content in the Higher, I like how a great deal of the wordy dull content seems to have been removed. Hopefully no changes to the Higher between now and the final document in April.
It will be a difficult Higher of course but I am fairly positive about where it is going.
Alex McNeiceI’m losing track of which iteration of courses we’re on! You’re right, the content isn’t as big a jump as it was at N5 but I feel we’re still playing catchup with that which costs time and now pulling materials to deal with the new higher also costs time (maybe not as much but still time both myself and my department are short on, given we’ve got to alter our S1-S3 course to make it run into the new N5.)
My main point was that the SQA said they would learn from their mistakes with timing last year (remember, they didn’t see a problem with the content change because, according to them, they hadn’t added anything new so it was more around the tight timescales for delivery).
My faculty, school and local authority all made complaints to them last year about this and it seems it was pointless.
Scott McBrideI absolutely agree. The development of these new new courses is impacting our courses in s1/s2.
I think there are people at the the SQa who want to listen but it seems those above are set in their ways of how they will manage the subjects.
Maggie Tuohy<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>I would like to hear your opinions on an issue for our department that comes from the publication of the new contents grid for the New Higher Computing Science (2018).</span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>We have used True Basic very successfully over many years. We have always believed it provides an easy route for less able pupils into a textual programming language. It provides, all the way to Higher, the necessary constructs. In the last edition of the Higher, we were able to exemplify records using VB Studio but there was no need for implementation. At Advanced Higher we move to VB Studio.</span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>The latest contents (Jan 2018) grid, however, now requires records and arrays of records to be implemented. True Basic does not implement records or arrays of records.</span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><i><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>Describe, exemplify and implement appropriately the following constructs</span></i></p>
<ul type=”disc”>
<li class=”MsoNormal” style=”color: black; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><i><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>Parallel 1D arrays</span></i>
<li class=”MsoNormal” style=”color: black; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><i><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>Records</span></i>
<li class=”MsoNormal” style=”color: black; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><i><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>Array of records</span></i>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”> </span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>I assume we could expect to see records in an assignment.</span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>On top of all the other development work we now need to look at a change to another language. I feel VB Studio is far too complex for S3/4 pupils and wondered if there are any recommendations for another text based language which covers all the requirements up to and including Advanced Higher.</span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”><span style=”font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;”>Any advice would be helpful.</span></p>
Maggie TuohyI would like to hear your opinions on an issue for our department that comes from the publication of the new contents grid for the New Higher Computing Science (2018).
We have used True Basic very successfully over many years. We have always believed it provides an easy route for less able pupils into a textual programming language. It provides, all the way to Higher, the necessary constructs. In the last edition of the Higher, we were able to exemplify records using VB Studio but there was no need for implementation. At Advanced Higher we move to VB Studio.
The latest contents (Jan 2018) grid, however, now requires records and arrays of records to be implemented. True Basic does not implement records or arrays of records.
Describe, exemplify and implement appropriately the following constructs
• Parallel 1D arrays
• Records
• Array of records
I assume we could expect to see records in an assignment.
On top of all the other development work we now need to look at a change to another language. I feel VB Studio is far too complex for S3/4 pupils and wondered if there are any recommendations for another text based language which covers all the requirements up to and including Advanced Higher.
Any advice would be helpful.
Maggie TuohyApologies for the codes in the previous post. I’ll try again
I would like to hear your opinions on an issue for our department that comes from the publication of the new contents grid for the New Higher Computing Science (2018).
We have used True Basic very successfully over many years. We have always believed it provides an easy route for less able pupils into a textual programming language. It provides, all the way to Higher, the necessary constructs. In the last edition of the Higher, we were able to exemplify records using VB Studio but there was no need for implementation. At Advanced Higher we move to VB Studio.
The latest contents (Jan 2018) grid, however, now requires records and arrays of records to be implemented. True Basic does not implement records or arrays of records.
Describe, exemplify and implement appropriately the following constructs
• Parallel 1D arrays
• Records
• Array of records
I assume we could expect to see records in an assignment.
On top of all the other development work we now need to look at a change to another language. I feel VB Studio is far too complex for S3/4 pupils and wondered if there are any recommendations for another text based language which covers all the requirements up to and including Advanced Higher.
Any advice would be helpful.
Ronnie RossGenerally I don’t mind the changes, I like the new content structure, the content seems more relevant, I am glad to see the back of certain things. In terms of new things, there isn’t too much and it seems fair enough. The emphasis seems to be on understanding the main technological areas and going into further depth in using them, and as Scott says, the dull wordy stuff is mostly ditched, which I am very pleased with.
Though I would like to know what pupils are expected to know about agile development. Is it just agile principles? Specific agile methodologies and their particulars? However, that is minor, we can work out from past papers etc the level of depth, though clarity would be nice.
I am curious to see what impact the move to a larger exam will have on pupil results.
Alex McNeiceJust to make people aware…
I received an email directly from Robbie Patterson, a Qualifications Manager at the SQA, in response to my inital post. A member of this site forwarded it to him without contacting me first and I’m not happy about that. My post was only intended for users of this forum. If I had wanted it sent to the SQA I would have done so, as I had last year with my comments about the N5 changes.
Marc McWhirter@Alex McNeice: Not cool!
Lee MurrayI’ve been trying to add my thoughts to this discussion but I keep getting a 403 error 🙁
Lee MurrayI wonder if the length of the post has anything to do with it…
I’ll try again later, but overall I’m not really happy with the timing (again) OR the content of the changes.
Nicky PasternakTo pick up on an earlier post on this topic.
Which language is most suitable for pupils following SQA courses?
Which language can be used from S3/4 to S6 through N4, N5, Higher and Advanced Higher Computing Science and is capable of covering all the constructs required of these courses?
I feel that these are fundamental questions.
I see many posts where teachers are asking about and sharing “workarounds” to get over the concepts required for the courses. This, once again, has implications for workload and takes away from the pupil experience in our subject.
So, is there any language which a school could adopt and be confident that it meets the need of all learners?
Lee MurrayNicky, I’ve been trying to post my thoughts for a while (keep getting a 403 error – if this gets through, it’ll be a miracle) and a concern of mine is that pupils are asked to learn things that just aren’t applicable in most programming languages.
Passing by reference/value (thankfully gone now), records, GUI design, functions vs procedures, breakpoints/watchpoints…
Like you say, it takes away a LOT of time from teachers to have to figure out what these mean in terms of teaching. And if your chosen programming language doesn’t make use of these features, how do you teach them at all? I’ve spent time figuring out work-arounds for many of these issues and it’s just such a waste of time.
To answer your question, I think Visual Basic/Visual Studio is probably the best option since it makes use of records, has a GUI design feature, uses breakpoints etc.
What I really want to know is why we aren’t just told what to use. If they really want pupils to know about these things, why don’t they tell us what programming language they had in mind? Why don’t we have standard equipment and software in all schools? It would mean materials are much more easily shared and CPD would by a piece of cake.
Allowing all schools to choose their own language is very strange.
John SchofieldHi Nicky
we use Visual Basic 6.0 and at some point may have to upgrade to Visual Studio. We use it from S3 to S6. All the computing teachers here are happy with VB and whilst it may not be the most up to date language, it provides an excellent basis for all computing concepts, is very suitable for the Nationals and seems to work very well at AH. It has all the features needed for AH.
For me the fact that pupils have to use a different language at university is a good thing, not only because they will have such a good grounding of computing languages from VB, but I feel it is much more interesting to do a different language at uni and to cope with that challenge. Also this prepares them for the world of work where they may have to change language a number of times over their working life.
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